Here are some questions & answers from the field about life on the island of Réunion.
What are the
languages that people speak most often on Réunion?
French and Creole
What is the local currency called? Right
now we are using the French Franc, but that will soon change the the Euro.
What is it like to shop in Réunion?
Réunion
is very modern with many products available, but rarely does one find American
products here, certainly no Walmart!
Do you have outdoor markets on Réunion?
Yes! Local outdoor markets are
held once a week in most communities. At these markets you can find handmade
crafts, lots of fruits and vegetables, fish, live chickens (used for sacrificing
as well as eating!) and tropical flowers.
What do the national kids
do? Study!!!
School is the most important thing in a child or teenager's life here.
How long is the school
day? The
elementary school day is from 7:30 - 3:30, Junior High (Collége) and High
School (Lycée) begins at 7:30 and ends at 5:00. Wednesday afternoons are
free, but they have to attend school on Saturday morning. Education is the
most important thing in French society. It is the key to a job in this
society with over 40% unemployment. So education is seen as the
future. Studies come first and everything revolves around the school
calendar. There are no sporting activities during the school day.
Sports are reserved for Wednesday and Saturday afternoons. So the school
day from morning to evening are formal classes. Most kids can tell you
exactly what their average is (on a scale from 1-20) on any given day.
Needless to say there is a lot of competition in classes and a lot of stress
that goes with it.
What do people do for
entertainment? Réunion
is known as the "intense island" because of the extremes in landscape
as well as the extreme sports available for those who are brave enough to do
them. Rock climbing, hiking and scuba diving are everyday sports
here. The more adventurous can rock climb a waterfall, paraglide
from the steep mountains, slide via cable from the top of a waterfall to a pool
below, and many other things.
Réunion is a volcanic island. Usually several times a year there is an eruption of the volcano which is a spectacular sight.